The date has been set for Ireland’s World Cup play-off decider against Poland.
Ireland’s Katie McCabe is congratulated by Carla Ward after the play-off win against Kazakhstan(Image: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
Carla Ward has called on fans to fill the Aviva Stadium in December when Ireland take on Poland for a place at next summer’s World Cup.
The Girls in Green cruised into the play-off deciders when they put four more goals past Kazakhstan to wrap up a 12-0 aggregate lead.
Poland had to work much harder to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat and see off Belgium on penalties in Gdansk.
That’s set to be the venue for the first-leg on December 1, with the decisive second-leg being staged at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday December 5 at 5pm.
“Let’s fill the Aviva Stadium,” Ward declared after Tuesday night’s win.
“We’ll try and sell the Aviva out, that’s got to be the aim. This group of players, we are onto something.
“If we can get the Aviva sold out and we can get everybody supporting what has been a group that really deserves following, we’ll be in a good place.”
Skipper Katie McCabe echoed her manager’s words by calling for no empty seats on December 5.
“For me, what’s most important right now is being in the best position to qualify for a World Cup, and these girls know what it takes,” she said.
“Obviously we’ve had some highs and lows over the years, our last one, the defeat to Wales (in the Euro 2025 play-offs).
“So it’s going to be really important that we stick together going into December.
“If there was ever a game to come to this year, it’s this one. Fifth of December, kick off is five o’clock, bring everyone, all the kids.
“It’s going to be a fantastic night hopefully and we’ll give absolutely everything we can to get over the line and bring this country to another World Cup.”
She paid tribute to Ireland’s players as 10 different goalscorers put 12 goals past Kazakhstan over two games.
“I’m really proud of the team and how we stuck together and got the job done,” said McCabe, who was suspended for the first-leg and who came back in and scored last night.
“We put ourselves in a fantastic position, two games and we go to Brazil. But full focus for the next six weeks. We need to lock in and be ready.
“There’s a World Cup place at stake, so we need to be giving it everything. It’s exciting.”
Cork native Denise O’Sullivan rounded off the rout with Ireland’s fourth goal last night at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
She was named man of the match and she said: “It’s always special to play here in Cork, it’s where I grew up, it’s where the people supported me through my whole career, and it’s how I got to where I am.
“It was a different game tonight, Kazakhstan did really well, they probably learned from the other night, they sat back, they were seven deep at times.
“It posed a different challenge for us, but we got the job done.
“Poland are a good side, they have a world class striker [Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor], but we have great players, we’re up for the challenge, we’ll be fully ready in six weeks.”